the_freya's Reviews (216)

A novel written in verse. The old and the modern combined to tell the story of Zuleika. Poet, wife, and lover to an emperor.

This was such a cute and whimsical middle grade book. My only complaint is that it could have been longer.

This was such a magical read. Tilly visiting classic children's books made it oddly nostalgic.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This was a disappointing read. The amount of historical errors in this book was a surprise and it was enough to put me off. The plot was all over the place. It went from balls and husband-seeking to a crime novel.

This story would have been better if Worsley didn't use the Austen family for her characters. However, I will admit that Jane Austen, or Aunt Jane, was a brilliantly written character.

A fun and atmospheric sequel to The Clockwork Crow. Unfortunately, this one relied heavily on overused tropes.

A new fairy tale with feminist undertones. Beautiful and sad but a tale that will stay with you.

(3.5 stars rounded up).

(Trigger warning: references of sexual assault and violence towards animals)

Moshfegh has taken the murder mystery novel and turned it on its head. It felt like reading the process of writing a mystery than reading one. The reader goes from wondering about the contents of the note to questioning the sanity of the protagonist as she obesses over the note she found.

Note: the main character, Vesta, is really fatphobic. It personally made me uncomfortable reading her disgust of overweight women. It comes up multiple times throughout.